No fewer than 36 people have died while 470 others were displaced from their homes following floods due to heavy rainfalls in various parts of Sokoto State from January to date.
The Director Relief and Orientation of the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mr. Mustapha Umar, disclosed this at a stakeholders meeting on disaster management on Thursday in Sokoto. The meeting was organised by National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
Umar said about 302, 500 hectares of farmlands were submerged and about 120 animals were killed due to flooding experienced across the state. He said 19 out of 23 local government areas in Sokoto State were affected by the devastating flooding since the start of the rains in year 2020.
Also, NEMA Head of Sokoto Field Office, Dr Kofoworola Soleye, who represented the Director General, AVM Muhammadu Muhammed (retd) said the meeting was aimed at brainstorming with relevant stakeholders on disaster management and to fashion out modes of response.
He said that the officials would also review measures that were responsible for the level of successes recorded in the past years.
According to him, participants are also expected to assist in identifying loopholes and lapses noticed in the process of disaster management in the current year in the state. Muhammed said that disaster management needed coordination and integration of all activities.
